Expansible post binder



F. A. RATCLIFFE ET AL 2,646,800

EXPANSIBLE POST BINDER July 28, 1953 Filed June 9, 1950 FIG.1.

FRED ,A. R mIFFE NORBERT A. RYAN GEORGE E.FORD

' INVENTORS ATTORNEY Patented July 28, 1953 Fred A. Ratcliife; Rochester;.Noi-bert A. Ryan; Greece; and George E. Ford; Brightom K said Ford assignor to Qualitrol CQEDO 'a Ea t ch stgriw ia c r i q York; said Ratclifie and said R'yair'i Yori o-operativer mi in flc mq a corporation of New Application June 9, 1950, Serial NB. iciis' 1 Claim. (01. 29 13) V 1 The present invention relates to binders and it has for its object to provide a simple, light, durable and convenient binder of the loose leaf type,

particularly useful in accumulating together and maintaining compactly a series ofls uitably perforated pamphlets of the same or different thicknesses which, Within the capacity or the binder, may be easily and quickly inserted, r'er'novd'or replaced.

A further object of such a binder of a construction such that it be produced by machine processes and a method of assembly that greatly reduces the cost of manufacture. I

These and other desirable objects are accomplished by the construction disclosed as an illustrative embodiment of the invention in the following description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which;

Fig. 1 is a view. of the impaling spindles-and back plate assembly of a binder constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of the invention, the same being viewed from the interior thereof, the covers being omitted and the impaling spindles and back plates being in open or extended positions; V

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on the line 2-*-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a central section taken longitudinally through one of the spindles and hence transversely of the back plates upon extensions of which latter the spindles are carried, these parts being in extended positions asin' Fig. l;

Fig. 4. is a similar View with the parts collapsed to the minimum length of the spindles;

Fig. 5 is anend view of the complete binder on a much reduced scale; the same being on its back with the covers extended as in inserting or removing a unit of the contents shown in dotted lines; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail of a pamphlet or other contained unit in the region of one of the perforations by which it is engaged and held in place.

The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and first to Fig. 5 thereof, 8 and it) indicate two superposed, stiff preferably sheet metal plates slidable transversely upon each other and together constituting the main body of the back of the binder, although the metal plates are preferably covered or faced with binders cloth or other suitable book binding sheet material. l'nwardly projecting flanges i2 and M on the the invention is to provide 1 opposite; ater" edges o'ftlf1e plates (land no lie iii parallelplans and impart a general I'd-shape to each of these plates.

The binder' cov'ers 16 a e (if the usual stiff boards co ered or rac d, like the pa k plates 8 and It, with suitable bo'fok binding sheet material, which sheet material, extending ecu-unuously from the backplate to the cover,- forms at It? airings connecting the; parts to each other.

This sheet material is also lapped over both the side and end edges or theelements 8; l0, and as and extends a short distanc'e over the inner faces thereof, for which reason the hanges 12 and Hi terminate short of the edges of the plates 8 and it, as apparsjin Figs. I and}. 3

The two or -more (two are herein sho wn") impaling spindlesextending between the flanges 12 and M are identical and henceadescription of one will sufiic'e for all. Each spindlecomprijses a two part telescopic construction; nt-mgr tubular'post 20 has its baseflen'd upset to pre ate shoulder in meant of exterior peripheral fold 22 a short distance from its extremity, The

\ latter is then inserted in a circula'r aperture of the ame diameter the flange l2 nd headed over and clinched at 24' so that thefia'ngeis seized between it, and the folded shoulder 22 and the post is firmlyenlchord in the flange; rne base and body portions of the pes 2o remainof uniform internal diameter for reaSns' that Will later appear. c v I I The companion state-sang element of the two partimpaling spilndleis c. o's'ed of a'rod'or intermediatel'y solid cylind' car post" 26', the base end of which is axially bored to form a' shallow cavity gdand exteriorly' turned down or reduced diameter' to' produces; biifl tubular tip 30 and an adjacent shoulder 3'41 Th'e tip'oc cupies a circulaif openingiri th'e back plate flange M. It protrudes beyond the latter which protrusion is clinched or riveted down at 32 to seize the flange between itself and the shoulder 34 and thus anchor the post firmly in the flange.

The two posts 20 and 26 are of course in exact axial alinement and the latter is adapted to slide telescopically within the former. Its intermediate solid portion takes such sliding bearing in a reduced tubular outer end portion 36 of post 20 the inside diameter of which afiords a working fit therewith. But the two posts are locked against disengagement when extended to an extreme degree by provisions through which theyare also furnished with additional and more extensive bearing area. To these ends the outer tip of post 26 is also bored to form an end cavity 3 38 and the walls thereof are expanded into a tubular enlargement 40 having a sliding fit in the body of post 20.

In manufacture two posts are obviously so assembled as a first step by dropping the smaller post 26 into post 20 from the base end of the latter and thereafter permanent attachmentmade to the respective back plate flanges l2 and [4 as previously described. The continuously and completely uniform internal diameter (except at the reduced neck 36) of post 20 provided by the method of forming shoulder 22 on the exterior thereof aids this procedure, and enables the insertion of the post 25, if desired, even after the post 20 has been riveted in its flange 12, but before the post 26 has been riveted in its flange H, of course.

To load the binder with its intended contents, it may conveniently be expanded to the position of Figs. 1, 3, and 5 with the greater portion of the smaller post 28 exposed. The binding rear edge of the pamphlet P shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 is prepared with a key hole perforation embodying a round aperture 42 of a size slidably fltting the larger post 20, and a narrow connecting slot 44 running to the margin as in Fig. 6, which at 44 may have parallel sides but more conveniently is formed of somewhat V-shape, as seen in the drawings. By distorting the wall portions of the latter, the pamphlet elements P, one by one, may

be engaged on the larger or the smaller diameter portions of the posts until the spindle is full, or they may be removed in a reverse manner. It is somewhat easier, of course, to engage or disengage the pamphlet from the smaller diameter post portion 28 of the retaining spindle. But when the binder is relatively full and the pamph let to be inserted or removed cannot be brought to the smaller diameter part of the spindle, it can be forced onto or off of the larger diameter part 20, by applying a little more force.

When standing on the bookshelf, the pressure of the adjacent books keeps the binder collapsed as much as possible dependent upon the thickness of the contents of the binder, so that excess use of shelf space is avoided. Yet the expansibility of the posts or spindles enables (within reasonable limits) the insertion of an additional pamphlet in the hinder, or the replacement of one pamphlet by a somewhat thicker revised edition of the same pamphlet, at no cost of additional shelf space until the time when thickening contents actually requires it. And when the binder is taken from the shelf and laid on a desk for reading, the binder may conveniently be pulled apart to its position of maximum expansion, thus allowing more slack for the various pamphlets in the binder and enabling the pages to open up better and lie flatter. But when the binder is picked up from the desk for replacement on the bookshelf, the mere manual grasping of the binder tends to collapse it or telescope it to the minimum thickness allowed by the construction of the binder and the thickness of its contents, thus making it ready for insertion in the alloted space on the bookshelf.

It is seen from the foregoing disclosure that the above mentioned objects of the invention are admirably fulfilled. It is to be understood that the foregoing disclosure is given by way of illustrative example only, rather than by way of limitation, and that without departing from the invention, the details may be varied within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a loose leaf binder, the combination with a pair of overlapping, rigid, flanged back plates having alined openings in the flanges, of an impaling spindle embodying a tubular post secured in the opening in one flange, the base end of such post being of uniform internal diameter through to the outer side of its supporting flange and being provided with an outwardly folded bead abuting the flange on the inner side thereof and a tip riveted against the flange on the outer side thereof, which free end of the post is reduced to a lesser cylindrical diameter furnishing a sliding bearing of substantial extent, and a second cooperating post slidable telescopically in the first and having its base reduced in diameter and secured in the opening of the other flange with its tip riveted against the outer side of the latter, the body portion of said second post consisting of an integral, solid rod having an axial bore in its free end forming a cavity for the reception of a riveting anvil the cylindrical walls of which bore are expanded to provide an additional sliding bearing of substantial extent within the larger diameter of the first mentioned post.

FRED A. RATCLIFFE. NORBERT A. RYAN. GEORGE E. FORD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 773,225 Robinson Oct. 25, 1904 1,539,388 Franz May 26, 1925 2,046,007 Unger June 30, 1936 2,225,889 Rubenstein Dec. 24, 1940 2,248,345 Franz July 8, 1941 2,327,873 Dawson Aug. 24, 1943 2,496,264 Benson Feb. '7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 783,954 France 1935 

